Thomas unplugged

In January, Justice Clarence Thomas spoke out in oral arguments for the first time in nearly seven years.

However, due to a problem with the electronic recording devices used by the Supreme Court, the first released copy of the court transcript recorded his comment as, “Well—he did not—.”

While the company that does the transcriptions from the electronic recordings later updated the record, it shows that even in cases where there are no budget constraints, creating an accurate record from electronic recordings will always be hit or miss.